The Brain (Part 2)

Elisio and Nick work to complete the crossword puzzle.

Great work from Bethsy!

Great work from Bethsy!

Last week we wrapped up our lessons on the brain by learning even more about the various, localized parts of the brain. We continued our "Brain Word Sort" this week and, just when the menetees and mentors became comfortable with the terminology, I added five new words: medulla, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus, and the nervous system. While many were frustrated by the new words at first, by the end of the day Friday every single table was feeling very confident about the new additions. We also watched several short videos that explained why the teenage brain is so "moody"--hint, it is science!--and I am pleased to say that our scholars are really connecting with this content. I even had two young mentees ask if they could share out the brain video with their mothers as they wanted to show them what they had been learning in YESS.

We wrapped up our week by completing a brain crossword puzzle. It was shocking to see how quickly every single class completed this (one class had it done in less than 10 minutes!) as they are really familiar with these terms at this point. I am glad they are accessing this material so quickly and easily as we will continue to build upon this knowledge as we continue working through our relationship unit.

Exemplary Cornell Notes from Mentor Breann McCoy.

Last week we also spent two days discussing Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani woman who has fought for the right for women to be educated and who almost lost her life due to her efforts. The mentors and I took Cornell notes on her on Monday and, on Tuesday, we watched a video with the class that explained her life and how she miraculously survived being shot in the head at close range. This was well timed with our talks on the brain as our scholars clearly understand that it is possible to be shot in the head and not to suffer major brain damage. Malala is a wonderful example of an empowered young leader, and I know so many of our scholars really connected with her story.

Next week we have Student-led Parent Conferences and I am looking forward to meeting with families!